


All Night

by RedShirtWriter34567



Category: Broadchurch, Masters of Sex
Genre: Alec Hardy Needs A Hug, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-22 21:30:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23167360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedShirtWriter34567/pseuds/RedShirtWriter34567
Summary: Alec can't sleep after a case goes awry, so Bill stays awake with him.
Relationships: Alec Hardy/William Masters
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	All Night

Alec's side of the bed was warm but empty. Bill opened his eyes as his hand brushed across the rumpled sheets. The bedroom was dark and quiet, almost eerily so. Bill sat up and ran a hand through his hair. The clock on the side table showed that it was half-past midnight. Bill yawned and left the bed, opening the closed bedroom door and stepping into the hallway. The whole house was silent, and he was beginning to get nervous. Where was Alec? 

"Alec?" Bill called out into the silence. 

When he received no response, he worried his bottom lip between his teeth and began to search. He checked the bathroom and saw evidence that the sink had been used. It was still dripping and a cold, damp washcloth sat on the edge. Bill went downstairs next and saw that the kettle had been used recently, but Alec was still missing. He wasn't on the couch or in the kitchen. 

'Maybe he's out back,' Bill thought, though he hoped not.

He walked down the hallway but stopped short of the back door. The light in the office was on, though the door was shut. Bill sighed and shook his head. He should've known. He opened the door without knocking and found Alec curled up in his armchair, still dressed in his briefs and undershirt. His hair and beard were tousled and scruffy, his doe eyes red and bloodshot as he stared out the window. A red mug sat on the desk next to him, steam rising from the top. Bill walked across the room and sat down on the arm of the chair.

"Still can't sleep, huh?" he asked quietly, placing a hand on Alec's shoulder.

Alec shook his head silently. He'd been having trouble sleeping for three days, ever since a case he and Ellie had been working went badly, ending with both the suspect and his hostage-a sixteen-year-old boy, dying from gunshot wounds. Alec had been found with the boy, having tried to slow the bleeding until the ambulance showed up. He'd been given paid leave while he tried to recover from the trauma, with no luck. His nightmares about Sandbrook were now replaced by visions of the boy, Alec pleading for him to hold on before waking up filmed in cold sweat and tears.

"Nothing I'm doing is working," Alec whispered, his voice heavy with emotion. "Every time I close my eyes, all I see is him. It feels so real. I smell his blood, feel it pooling under my hands, watch his eyes dim as the ambulance shows up."

"You did all you could," Bill said, rubbing his husband's shoulder. "I know this is hard now, but it will get easier. Eventually."

"I know," Alec replied. "But I still can't sleep."

"I'll stay up with you," Bill offered. 

Alec shook his head. "You have work in the morning."

"Actually, I don't," Bill corrected. "My schedule was mixed up with someone else's. I don't go in till the day after tomorrow."

Alec shifted in his chair and looked up at Bill. "You'll stay up with me?"

"All night if you need me to," Bill assured him.

Alec smiled for the first time. Bill grinned back and kissed him. 

They spent the night in the living room, mostly watching old movies on TV. Occasionally, Alec would talk about the case, letting more details slip. It seemed to be helping him, Bill noticed. He'd heard that for some insomniacs, it was easier to stay awake all night rather than spend it tossing and turning. Bill had done it himself on a few occasions, especially since he worked at the hospital, where all-nighters were part of the job. Eventually, around five thirty, Alec stretched out across the couch, put his head in Bill's lap, and fell asleep almost instantly. Bill smiled at the sight of his husband sleeping peacefully for the first time in three days. He ran his fingers through the Scotsman's hair, listening to his even breathing. His phone suddenly vibrated from where it was sitting on the coffee table. Not wanting it to disturb Alec, Bill grabbed it and quietly answered.

"Hello?" he whispered.

"Bill, where are you?" one of the other doctors at the hospital asked. "Didn't your shift start at five this morning?"

"I won't be coming in today," Bill said, still speaking quietly. "Sorry, but I have other priorities this morning."

He hung before his colleague could issue a protest and set his phone back on the table. He thought he saw a private smile hit Alec's lips as he adjusted their positions, laying down on the couch with Alec's head on his chest. He grabbed the blanket spread out across the back of the couch and draped it over them. He rubbed his hand across Alec's back and slipped into sleep as well. Normally, he didn't like staying up all night, but for Alec, he was willing to make an exception.


End file.
